On Saturday, the United Kingdom’s health ministry stated that it would open bookings for booster shots a month before people were eligible to receive them to help speed the rollout ahead of the winter season.
Political on Monday encouraged eligible people to book booster shots against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as too many elderly people are being hospitalised with the virus.
On Saturday, the United Kingdom’s health ministry stated that it would open bookings for booster shots a month before people were eligible to receive them to help speed the rollout ahead of the winter season. At present, people can only book an appointment for booster shots six months after their second vaccine dose.
“We’re starting to see too many elderly people getting into hospital. Sadly, the Covid-19 jabs do wane,” Johnson said on Monday, adding that the booster is very effective against Covid-19.
“It’s (booster) a wonderful thing. People get 95% more protection… if you’ve gone over five months, you can go online and book your booster,” he further said.
The Prime Minister is heavily relying on booster shots as a major plank of his government’s plan to avoid lockdown during winters. According to news agency Reuters on Saturday, around three in five eligible people over the age of 50 have received the shots and more than nine million people have received them so far in the UK.
Daily Covid-19 cases are still above the 30,000-mark and the UK accounts for almost a tenth of the new infections recorded globally.
Despite vaccination leading to a massive reduction in virus-related deaths, doctors have warned that hospitals in the country are facing pressure, Reuters further reported.
Over 1,000 patients are being hospitalised daily. Speaking to Reuters, Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, said last week that the National Health Service (NHS) will be overwhelmed again.
“Even though Covid isn’t responsible for as many of the ICU places as it has been in the past, it’s still around a third of them, and that’s going up. I don’t know how they’re expecting NHS staff to cope, mentally and physically,” Griffin said.
